Episode 5

full
Published on:

16th Jun 2022

Paddling the canals of Bath

In a 2-part series of the canals and rivers of Bath, this month we paddle along the Somersetshire Coal and the Kennet and Avon canals, and find out how they contributed to the building of Bath.

We meet a woman who runs pottery workshops from her boat and a man who illuminates the life of a 'continuous cruiser'.

Finally I hitch a ride on the back of Dan's bike to the Claverton Pumping Station where we explore the early industrial revolution and meet the machine which has pumped water up to the Kennet and Avon canal for two centuries. It dates back to the year Pride and Prejudice was published - 1813!

Bathscape Manager Dan Merrett and his daughter do the paddling while I drop a hydrophone into the water and listen to the birds! This is the life!

Music: Audionautix

Produced by Pommy Harmar

Links

Somersetshire Coal Canal Society - www.coalcanal.com

Jessica Styles - Insta and Facebook - @towpathpottery

Claverton Pumping Station - www.claverton.org

www.canalrivertrust.org.uk

www.naturalbristol.wordpress.com

Show artwork for Footprints

About the Podcast

Footprints
This podcast is designed to inspire you to get out and explore the beautiful natural landscape surrounding the city of Bath, with its hills and valleys, grasslands and woodlands.

Season 1 brought a monthly flavour of the September walking festival through interviews with special guests, a recorded local walk and a 'top-tip' section with festival organiser Lucy Bartlett.

Season 2 delves deep into the rich diversity of the Bathscape, its culture, heritage, landscape and people.

Footprints was nominated for two ARIAS in 2023 in the Grassroots Show and Best Local Show categories!!

Hosted by walking and podcasting enthusiast Pommy Harmar. Get in touch with us through Facebook or Twitter or visit our website: www.bathscape.co.uk

About your hosts

Pommy Harmar

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Freelance Journalist, radio producer, podcaster and walker. Pommy has been working in radio since 2013. She has produced and hosted podcasts including Sleeping with the Moon, Footprints, The Bristol Walkfest Podcast, The Quarantini, and Follow The Sun.

"It was excellent, really interesting and informative. The details and the way it was done, with three women farmers as key players, was really refreshing. I liked the voiceover and all the interviews." (Footprints, season 2 listener)

"All your topics on the Footprints podcast were relevant and fascinating to me as an older, female solo walker for the first time in the U.K." (Footprints season 1 listener)

Email: pommyharmar@yahoo.co.uk

Lucy Bartlett

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Lucy is the Bathscape Community Projects Officer and a keen walker. She organises the annual Bathscape Walking Festival which aims to encourage people to discover the beautiful landscape around Bath.
Bathscape is very grateful to the National Lottery Heritage Fund and players of the National Lottery who fund our work.